Chapter One

Winter Harbor, Maine

2024

"NO," ZOEY CRIED, bolting awake only to find Savannah gripping her shoulders as if she'd been trying to rouse her.

"Oh, thank God you came around." Her best friend urged her to sit up on one of two large leather tan sofas in their rental where she'd been sleeping and held a cup of icy cold water to her lips. "I wasn't sure you were going to this time."

Zoey managed a hoarse thank you, grateful for the soothing water sliding down her parched throat, and drank it all in a few long gulps. Fully prepared, Savannah held a second cup to her mouth until Zoey stopped shaking long enough to hold the glass herself.

Savannah frowned. "Him again, I take it?"

"Yeah." Zoey set aside her empty glass, pulled her knees to her chest, and patted the area beside her, urging Savannah to sit. "Despite forgetting who he is in my nightmare, I always remember when I wake up, and it's him again. And every time, it feels even worse. Harder to get through to him. More difficult than ever to make him listen." Just as frustrated now as she'd been in her nightmare, she spoke through clenched teeth. "He's the most stubborn, unreasonable man I've ever encountered."

"And you're sure it's the dragon prince from our distant past?" Savannah unclipped her luxurious mass of crimson-tipped brown curls and shook out her hair as if she'd had it tied back too long. Going off the exhaustion rimming her thickly lashed, deep, smoky gray eyes, she'd been keeping a vigilant watch over Zoey and not sleeping. "Or better known as Magnus to the Sigdir Vikings our friends have hooked up with?"

"I do think it's him." She eyed the endless pictures of the aurora borealis hanging around the huge living room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the choppy waters of Frenchman Bay. Portraits that had appeared shortly after Quinn vanished back in time. Pictures Savannah couldn't see because their demi-god seer landlord, Rune, used what she called ‘truth' magic on them, meaning Zoey and her friends would each see what they were meant to. Things that would, without a doubt, tie them with their fated mate Viking dragon over a thousand years in their past.

Thus far Keira had seen pictures of Viking ships and kings, Athena, medieval weapons, and Quinn, what they called the Keep in tenth-century Norway. Now Zoey saw pictures of the same vivid turquoise color over the dark skyline of snow-tipped mountains she'd seen in her dream. Her gaze went to the sizeable portrait over the fireplace. To the same mighty square-sailed ship with a man she couldn't see clearly sailing under the same vibrant, otherworldly skies.

She swallowed hard and looked away, only to end up gazing at the morning sun cresting over the huge ash tree outside. A Yggdrasil that apparently connected them with the distant past. Norway during a turbulent time of warring kingdoms where the fate of dragonkind was threatened, and from what she had seen in her dreams, she couldn't agree more.

"Why are you so sure it's Magnus?" Savannah yawned and flinched. "Because that would leave me with Zane, right?" She snorted and rolled her eyes. "And based on what I've heard about him, I don't see that going well."

"I don't know." Zoey bit back a smile and eyed her beautiful friend with her flawless Brazilian skin and endless curves. "He sounds like someone who could use a serious dose of Savannah."

Savannah was a psychiatrist and extremely good at her job. Even better? She was excellent at shedding her work skin, so to speak, when it was time to relax. More than that, she was comfortable saying things as she saw them rather than being careful. Zoey knew Quinn would disagree with her, but Quinn didn't understand Savannah like she did. She didn't understand Savannah battled her own inner demons just like the rest of them but kept them more private than most.

Rather than respond to Zoey's comment about Zane needing someone like Savannah, her friend tilted her head in question. "How about some tea?" She squeezed Zoey's hand, clearly worried about her. "You've been really out of it since Quinn left. Nodding off constantly, then tossing and turning in your sleep before you bolt awake like this." She gestured at Zoey. "Parched, shaky—" she brushed a damp lock of hair back from Zoey"s forehead— "and soaked in sweat like you've been standing in front of a roaring fire."

"And you look like you could use some sleep, sweetie." She squeezed Savannah's hand in return. "Tell me you haven't been watching over me all this time? That you've gotten some rest?"

"I've gotten some rest," Savannah replied dutifully before flashing Zoey a brilliant white smile. "Tea, then we'll chat about our enemy, the big bad Viking dragon who might be destined for you?"

"Sure to tea." Zoey frowned at the mere thought of Magnus. "As to the Viking, we'll see." She stretched and stood. "I think I'm going to grab a quick shower."

"Probably not a bad idea after all that sweating." Savannah winked at her and chuckled. "Meanwhile, I'll cook you some breakfast to go with your tea. You've hardly eaten in days, and there's barely anything to you to begin with."

"You don't have to." She headed upstairs, knowing Savannah's response before her friend predictably echoed, "But I will!"

Despite Savannah's typically expensive businesslike clothes and pricy lifestyle, because she made damn good money, she could be remarkably down to earth when it suited her, which was mainly with Zoey and perhaps Keira, Athena, and a lucky guy or two. They got to enjoy her wonderful cooking and a side to her she showed few.

Quinn, however, didn't get to enjoy that side, and Zoey had never understood it because Quinn was such a lovely, kind person—a healer by nature. Yet she and Savannah had never gotten along all that well, and deep down, Zoey knew it was because Savannah kept Quinn at arm's length. Almost as if she didn't want their healer friend to see something the rest of them could not.

Zoey and Savannah had become friends as children before they met the other three in a Fire Anonymous group for dragons. One specifically for those who had issues with fire that were considered abnormal for their kind. Either they hated or loved flames too much.

Savannah craved them something fierce where Zoey ran hot and cold, quite literally. Either she loved fire and could manipulate it a little too well, or she couldn't muster flames if she tried. Either way, she did her best to keep her inner dragon repressed to avoid trouble.

Or should she say, keep others out of trouble.

That's what she did for a living, after all. She did her best to find resolution and peace when it seemed difficult to come by. And it felt like she'd been doing it her whole life. Striving for peace, whether at home or at work.

Now, here she was, caught in yet another push-and-pull situation she could barely make sense of. All she knew was Magnus was at the heart of it. A perfect stranger who didn't feel strange to her at all. Rather, he felt like someone she was eager to meet but, at the same time, wanted to throttle for his stubbornness. A faceless Viking she'd been trying to convince to flee trouble and embrace diplomacy for days now in her nightmare.

Or had it been years?

Because it felt like her frustration with him had no beginning or end. As if she needed to get out ahead of him somehow. Find resolution without involving him because it was pointless. He would refuse to see reason. Stop progress and peace if it were the last thing he did.

"Oh, nice." Savannah smiled with approval when Zoey rejoined her in the kitchen a short time later. "It'll be good for you to get out after breakfast." She placed a cup of steaming tea on the island, followed by a plate of seasoned eggs, crisp bacon, buttered toast, and freshly sliced fruit. "Where are you going? Can I come?"

Zoey blinked in confusion because it seemed but a minute ago, she was stepping under a warm stream of soothing water in the shower, yet here she was in the kitchen, fully dressed. She frowned at her favorite black oversized cashmere sweater, skinny jeans, and sturdy snow boots. "Um." She sank into a chair at the kitchen island, still frowning at clothes she didn"t recall putting on. "Sure."

"You okay, hun?" Savannah asked. When Zoey didn't respond, she braced her elbows on the island, leaned close and cocked her head. "Zoey? You with me?"

"I don't know," she said softly, blinking at her friend, before she glanced from her clothes back to Savannah again. "I think so."

"You think so?" Fully aware strange things happened quickly around there, Savannah sipped her cup of undoubtedly strong, black coffee and narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean, exactly? Because you seem—"

"Confused?" Rune said, sauntering down the hallway from the front door despite them never having heard her enter. But then, that was Rune's style in all her stunning, long, ebony-haired glory. Landlord or not, she came and went as she pleased because it seemed she was somehow at the root of all this. How could she not be when it became clearer and clearer she knew precisely which medieval Viking Zoey and her friends would end up with via her living room ‘truth' walls?

"I doubt our Zoey is confused at all." Rune smiled affectionately at Zoey and rested a hand on her shoulder. "No, Zoey knows what her true purpose is. She always has." Rune only seemed to grow more beautiful as she gave Zoey a reassuring look. "Isn't that right, love?"

"Do I?" Zoey shook her head, more confused by the moment. "The last thing I remember thinking was Magnus couldn't be reasoned with, and I would be better off going around him. Better off..."

"What is it, Zoey?" No big fan of the seer since the moment they'd met, Savannah scowled at Rune before looking Zoey"s way again. "Who are you thinking of going around Magnus to?"

"You know full well who," she replied as everything sharpened, and she finally felt clear-minded again rather than outside herself. Focused instead of hazy and confused.

"Actually, I don't," Savannah said slowly, eyeing Zoey with concern.

"Sure you do." Zoey sipped her tea. "It makes perfect sense." She shook her head again. "I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me sooner, considering he's the only one left on the opposite side of their war that we know of." She shrugged. "Outside of this unseen enemy that may or may not be Zane."

"Right." Savannah's eyes narrowed again. "Sorry, sweetie. Still not following you."

"Well, it's simple, really." She set down her cup. "I need to go talk to Zane. Try to reason with him. Take the time to see if he's the bad guy everyone except Ulrik seems to think he is."

This time, Rune narrowed her eyes along with Savannah.

"I'm not so sure that's a great idea," Savannah said.

Rune frowned. "On that, we agree."

"Well, why not?" Zoey was about to pop a piece of bacon in her mouth when she caught movement off to her left. "Oh my goodness," she whispered when a tiny dark turquoise dragon with pale Caribbean blue eyes narrowed its gaze at her in challenge as it pranced past with its head held high in undeniable defiance. "Do you see it?"

"See what?" Savannah wondered.

"The little dragon with the attitude." Was that him? Magnus? Because his color schemes matched those from her nightmare found in the northern lights. The same shade of aurora borealis that now hung on the walls.

Savannah responded, but Zoey didn't catch what she said as she pursued the half-pint into the living room. "Where are you going with such a chip on your shoulder, little one?" she murmured with a small smile. "You have quite the purpose, don't you?"

The tiny dragon glanced back at her with a look of determination she recognized all too well before it picked up its pace and zoomed out the deckside door just as it flew open. Trying to keep an eye on the baby dragon, she started outside only to lose sight of it and instead walked straight into a hard wall of muscle.

"Oh, no," she murmured as her gaze traveled up a black leather tunic to broad shoulders covered by a black wolf fur cloak, over a bearded chin to eyes the same shade as the little dragon's.

Eyes that unfortunately narrowed at her with just as much challenge.

Worse yet, a challenge she stood no chance against when he didn't bother with rational words but threw her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing and proved he was every bit as stubborn in this life as he'd been in the last.